Q. I have approximately $4,500 to repay on a TSP loan. I want to retire in five years, so I’m trying to build up my TSP. Am I better off to let the loan run it’s course, or am I better off putting the additional contributions toward the loan?
Browsing: TSP contribution
Q. While still employed in the federal government, can I re-deposit the money I have withdrawn to an outside IRA back into the TSP prior to full retirement? A. You may transfer an eligible (contains no after-tax money) IRA balance into your TSP account at any time.
Q. What would happen to FERS retirees if Social Security defaults? I heard rumors that the CSRS folks will still get paid, but the FERS people will not. Another rumor is that the government can take your TSP G-Fund money, but not the other funds. What should federal employees be doing for such a scenario?
If you have any of your Thrift Savings Plan account invested in the C, S or I Funds, you should be nervous. Why? Not because of the Ebola virus, turmoil in the Middle East, the national debt or legislative gridlock. Sure, those are all significant threats to various interests in various ways, but, whether you realize it or not, the threat those pose to stock values are already reflected in the share prices of the various TSP funds. Professional investment managers are not paid to wait for bad things to happen before responding. They are paid to predict the probabilities…
Q. I will retire Jan. 2 in CSRS. I believe the paydays on Jan. 2 and Jan. 16 will be part of the 2015 TSP contribution year. Also, I believe that I can contribute up to 100 percent of my basic pay to TSP (which is what I would like to do for these last two pays). Would the 100 percent be whatever is left after all other deductions (taxes, FEHB, etc.) have already been deducted? Essentially, when does the 100 percent get applied? A. The 100 percent is applied after all required deductions have been subtracted.
Q. I have been retired from the federal government for eight years and have worked for a private firm. I have a 401k that I have been contributing to since I started working for this firm. Can I transfer my existing 401k to the TSP when I stop working. A. Yes, as long as it doesn’t contain any after-tax money. Use Form TSP-60.
Q. I was just hired by the VA (NTE only lasting 2 months, Excepted) at age 58. How long must I work before I am eligible for a monthly pension? How long must I work before I am eligible to keep retirement thrift plan? How long must I stay before I am eligible for retirement medical benefits? I am assuming that I will find a permanent job but does this NTE time count toward something?
I have written about the perils of trying to time the investment markets for years, but I continue to receive questions from readers who use it to manage their Thrift Savings Plan accounts. There are a number of ways to effectively attack this misguided strategy, and the trick is to find the one that resonates with each investor. This time around, I’ll discuss the risk that market timers either don’t see, or choose to ignore: long-term risk. Market-timing strategies are focused in avoiding near-term risk:; the risk of losing money to market declines, or the risk of failing to capture…
Q. My daughter is 20 and just entered the military, hopefully to make a career of it. She is contributing 10 percent to her traditional TSP and $25 per month to her Roth TSP. Her traditional TSP is fully invested in the G Fund (this was automatic and she didn’t know enough to change anything). Wouldn’t it be better for her to put the maximum amount she can afford into the Roth TSP before putting anything into the traditional? She will probably be making quite a bit more money when she retires than what she makes now. If not, what…
Q. I was recently hired at the the FDA. I have about $43,000 in student loans with a high interest rate. How much should I set up to be put into my TSP in order to take a loan from myself? Would this be a smart move? I believe that this way I’ll take out a loan from myself at a lower interest rate.